The Promise
by RastaNificent
Summary: There was chaos after the Governor destroyed the prison. The group was separated and Michonne ended up alone with no one but Lori's baby to keep her company. This is the story of how Michonne became a mother for the second time. I don't own the characters.
1. Chapter 1: Stranded

**[AU] The Promise - A Walking Dead fan fiction by Terry Ndokosho**

Rick met Michonne for the first time when she saved Herschel's life when he was cut off by walkers outside the prison. If she hadn't been there, he would have lost more than just a leg. Lori was the one who insisted that Michonne stay at the prison afterwards. She along with everyone else was grateful to Michonne for saving Herschel and she was thinking ahead as she knew she would need strong people to help keep her family and friends safe and she found herself becoming very close to Michonne, as they grew to realize they had a lot in common such as motherhood. And so Michonne became part of the group.

Glenn and Maggie went out on a run to find stuff for Lori's baby and they were captured by The Governor. While in captivity, Glenn revealed to Andrea, who had become a member of Woodberry since splitting with Michonne that Rick, Michonne and the others were held out at the prison. The Governor overheard the conversation and his sick obsession with Michonne drove him to seek out the prison and get her back. She put his daughter down and took his eye out the last time he saw her. She escaped him but now he'd caught up to her - as he promised to do and it was time for her to face the consequences. The Governor offered Rick a deal - Glenn, Maggie and no war, for Michonne.

Michonne decided to give herself up. She wasn't going to let her friends suffer for her. The Governor took Michonne and had her tied up in his basement. He tortured her in private everyday as his muse and killed Andrea for trying to interfere when she found Michonne tied up and abused. It was Michonne he wanted from the start anyway, not Andrea and now he finally had her until eventually Lori convinced Rick and the rest to save her. They sneaked into Woodberry and managed to get Michonne back and left The Governor boiling mad. The people of Woodberry began to fear for their lives as The Governor lost control of things and the survivors of his rampage migrated to the prison, his soldiers also abandoned him leaving The Governor alone and with nothing and no one but anger left to keep him company...

 **Chapter 1: Stranded**

Things with The Governor had cooled off and everyone was finally settled in. Lori was 9 months pregnant and would be going into labor any day now. Rick decided to go on another run for everything they needed for the baby. This time he'd need to go far, maybe be gone for days since all the shops in the city had been looted clean. Lori asked Michonne to go with Rick to keep him safe. Michonne was the toughest person they had and Lori slept better knowing Michonne was watching over Rick. She knew Michonne was a noble woman and she didn't feel the slightest negative about sending her husband out alone with this exotic woman. They packed lightly, only taking enough food and water to last them a few days and some camping gear. They said their goodbyes and headed out, each on their own horse.

After days of searching and nearly giving up, on a cold evening they finally found something valuable. An untouched baby shop in a small shopping center with only a handful of unalerted walkers dwelling around. They left their horses somewhere safe and hidden and sneakily approached the shop. They picked the locks and got inside. They only managed to grab a few things when suddenly the alarm went off, the loud siren attracting all the walkers in the next 50 mile radius. In minutes the shop was surrounded by a horde of walkers. The walkers eventually forced their way through the glass and into the shop. Rick and Michonne ran out the exit that lead to the roof where they would be trapped for next couple of weeks...

The sun was setting and they needed to set up camp before it got too cold. They usually slept out the night in cars but tonight they finally had to get out their camping gear. Michonne opened her backpack and removed her portable tent and sleeping back - Rick realized he had forgotten his.

"Shit." He said to himself.

Michonne looked up at him and smiled mockingly. "Forgot your stuff?" She asked rhetorically.

"Yeah. Always hated camping. Wasn't look forward to using it." He replied.

Michonne looked down at her stuff, thinking about what sharing meant but realized she didn't really have a choice. "We can share mine." She finally said.

They looked at one another awkwardly before Rick finally spoke.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks." He said.

They used a few building materials that they found scattered on the roof and the tent to craft a small shelter. They opened the sleeping bag and used it as a softer surface to sleep on. It wasn't much - a strong wind could blow it away but it was all they had. It was a tight spot, there was no way they could share without parts of their bodies slept back-to-back but sometime during the night it got drastically cold and Rick felt Michonne shivering. It was his fault that she couldn't fold herself up into her sleeping back, because she had to share with him. He turned around and put his arm around her. Michonne instinctively pushed backward into his chest and immediately felt hot. They were so close together that Rick could smell her hair. They both hadn't had a proper shower in days but he didn't mind her scent at all and she didn't mind his, in fact she actually liked it and feeling him, hearing him and smelling him so close for the first time brought her comfort. The last time she was this physically close to a man was when she was The Governor's toy. Rick's touch was gentle and warm, his breath soft and sweet.

Rick's heart was pumping like crazy, Michonne felt fuzzy and he fought to control himself. He had never been this close to another woman before. Lori was his first and current. He tried to prevent any sexual thoughts coming into his mind by thinking of Lori. Just Lori. Michonne smiled uncontrollably to herself when suddenly she remembered Lori. And suddenly Rick's body so close to hers felt wrong but she needed his body heat. She would freeze to death or worse, get sick then Rick would have to carry her ass all the way back if she didn't just ignore the wrong feeling in her gut. She shut her eyes and tried to stay focused on falling asleep. Not allowing her mind to wonder into that place. Rick did the same.

The next morning, Michonne woke up first still under Rick's arm. She had slept so deep, so recklessly. Rick made her feel safe - too safe and she didn't like it. She didn't want to wake him so she gently lifted it off and got up. She opened the tent and got out. The cold morning breeze came in through the opening and woke Rick too. Michonne glared down and found that the walkers were only getting more. It would only get harder to leave. She wondered if their horses were still in one piece. They needed to leave soon. they ate the last of their food from the prison for breakfast. It wasn't meant to last that long. Rick looked over the side of the building and found that the walkers were still gathering. It would have been smart to make a run for it before they were so many but they would have had to leave everything they found including stuff they found before.

"Hey." Rick greeted from behind her, almost startling her.

"Hey." She greeted back.

"They're not getting any fewer." Rick said when he walked up next to her and glared down at the walkers himself.

"Its gonna take at least four days before they start dispersing." She explained.

Rick tilted his head to the side in confusion as he looked at her. "Have you done this before?" He asked.

"Yup. With Andrea. We were stranded in a shop. We waited for one week straight for them to lose interest in us. But Andrea got sick and we had to leave. I managed to kill a few walkers, took their arms and jaws off and put ropes on them. Its an old trick of mine but it works. The rest of the walkers don't notice me when I walk around with my roped ones." She explained.

"Wow. Wish I knew that before. Thought it only worked if you covered yourself in their guts." He replied.

"Yeah but that's a last resort. Its just... really gross." She joked.

"Yeah. I'll use your way next time. It's definitely less gross." He replied sarcastically. They both chuckled.

Now that they were well rested and could think clearly, they formulated a plan to grab a walker and use it to escape. And they did just that. They used Rick's method because they didn't have any ropes. They carefully opened the roof entrance and let one walker onto the roof. Michonne sliced its head off with her katana while Rick struggled to shut the door. They gutted the walker and covered themselves with its insides. The roof entrance was overrun and they had to find another way down. Fortunately there was a ladder in the back. They packed up everything they had and made their way remained undetected all the way back to their horses which were still safe and sound. They mounted them and headed back to the prison.

It would take them days to get back home, and judging by the cold breeze in the morning it would be even colder than before. That would mean they would probably have to cuddle up again. And they did just that, both slowly accepting and expressing their attraction to each other. One night while they sat around the campfire their cuddling turned more emotional as Michonne explained what The Governor did to her. Rick couldn't resist hugging her. Even if she didn't show it, Michonne was hurting badly. He hugged her and their lips found their way onto one another. With nothing but the sound of the fire-wood cracking and crickets in the night, they both drifted off as they kissed. Michonne was the one to come back to Earth and break it off. They spoke about Lori and how they couldn't do that to her. They agreed and put out the fire before getting into a nearby car where they'd spend the night, each on their own seat...


	2. Chapter 2: The Promise

**Chapter 2: The Promise**

Rick and Michonne had returned and were somewhat relieved to see that Lori hadn't given birth yet. They both wanted to be there when it happened. Rick as a husband and Michonne as a best friend. They brought back enough formula and baby clothes to last the baby a while. Lori began to notice that Michonne was being more distant than usual from Rick and his family. When she had the chance, she finally approached her about it one afternoon while she was on watch.

"Hey." Said Michonne when she saw Lori approach.

"Hi." Replied Lori.

"You okay? You look a little pale." Michonne said.

"I'm just...tired. Can't wait for her to come out." Lori said as she rubbed her belly.

"Any minute now." Michonne reassured with a smile.

"Michonne, Rick is... He'll never tell me so I'm asking you. Woman to woman, friend to friend." Lori said.

Michonne nodded.

"What happened out there, with Rick?" Lori asked.

Michonne looked to the ground, she didn't realize how bad a job she was doing at hiding it. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to buy herself more time to come up with a proper explanation.

"Come on, Michonne. Don't insult me. I just need to know what happened." Lori said.

Michonne wanted so badly to just lie - it would make everything so much easier. But she didn't want to defend herself. That would mean she was guilty and she wasn't. She came close but she didn't do it. And she felt that was something to be proud of. She didn't do it. "Nothing." She said. "We were stressed and tired and hungry. We weren't thinking straight. So we kissed. But that was it. That's all that happened." She added.

"Are you still stressed and tired and hungry?" Lori asked.

"No..." Michonne said, unsure of where Lori's question was about.

"Then why does he still look at you like that? And why do you still run from him?" Lori asked.

Michonne was stunned. She didn't know what to say. Truth or lie she was wordless. "I.." was all she managed to get out before someone in the prison screamed.

Lori and Michonne's conversation was interrupted when Michonne got out her binoculars and used them to spot The Governor at their gates. He brought more people this time and a tank. Rick was down at the gate trying to beg for Herschel and Carl''s lives but The Governor wasn't having it. He used a machete to decapitate Herschel in front of his kids and everyone else. A war broke out as Rick began to shoot. Bullets were flying all over and one of them struck Lori in the chest. Michonne carried Lori out of the line of fire but Lori was hit bad. She wasn't gonna make it and the only words she could get out under her breath were "Please, save my baby. Please take care of my baby. Please." before she drew her last breath and died in Michonne's arms.

Lori and Michonne had spoken about how she would be needing a c-section before. She was shaking at first but Lori's last words made have to, want to focus. There was no one else around and Michonne knew it was up to her to fulfill her friend's dying wish. She took Lori's knife from her belt and proceeded to carefully cut into Lori. Because of her own previous pregnancy, Michonne knew the basics and was able to pull the baby out. She tapped on her back until she cried and Michonne took the same knife and pushed it into Lori's skull "I'm sorry." She whispered. She got up and took the took the baby and ran into the prison. There was so much chaos that she couldn't find anyone before she left. She took what little baby necessities she could carry and ran out of the prison.

Michonne was out in the cold winter on her own with a newborn baby. She didn't have milk, she didn't have shelter, she didn't have anyone to help her. It was hard. The baby wouldn't eat the formula at first but she eventually got too hungry to refuse it. One night while they took shelter in a car, Michonne was reminded of the memories she had with Andrea and decided to call the baby after her blonde friend and her own deceased baby boy, André. Andrea was quiet, which was something Michonne was grateful for. She barely attracted walkers with her cries even when she was hungry.

Michonne found her way into the middle of suburbia with baby Andrea on her back. She went house to house looking for food and eventually had a ray of hope shine her way when she found a can of pickles in one of the houses. She barred up the same house as the sun set and fixed a warm, cozy area for her and Andrea in front of the fire place. Andrea fell asleep on the mattress that Michonne set up on the floor while Michonne treated herself to a can of fresh pickles - the first meal she'd had in over three days. She savored every bite, leaving half of the can for breakfast the next day. She joined Andrea on the comfy mattress and cuddled her as she smiled and whispered "Today was good." before falling asleep herself.

The next morning, Michonne was awoken by the sound of banging on the front door. She jumped out of bed and grabbed her sword and Andrea, tying her onto her back and running out the back at the same time, leaving her can of pickles behind. As soon as she opened the door, she was stunned to see a tall bearded man standing in her way. She could tell by his posture that he was not friendly.

"What do we have here." He said with a southern accent.

Michonne looked on, breathing heavily and not saying a word.

"What you got there, on your back?" He continued.

"Don't." Michonne let out.

"Don't what?" He said. "Come on, sweetheart, don't play hard to get." He added.

"Ooh-wee! Looks like I hit the jackpot this time!" Said another man as he came in through the front door, eyeing Michonne and Andrea as he chewed on a twig.

"Stay back, Randy, she's claimed!" Said the first man.

"Didn't hear you say it, Lance!" He replied.

"Fuck that. I found 'em first, you sombitch!" He said, with his voiced raised.

"Fine you can have the lady, I'll have the girl." He concluded.

They agreed and began laughing as they walked closer to Michonne. Michonne felt her blood boil and she pulled out her sword. She swung it at the man in front of her, cutting his head clean off.

"Fucking bitch!" The other man yelled as he pulled out his gun. "I have a clear shot on the kid. You move and she's dead!" The man threatened.

"Okay. Just... please don't hurt her." Michonne pleaded.

"Oh its too late for that. Far too late. I'm gonna take you. Then I'm gonna take the kid. Drop the sword and the kid." He ordered.

Michonne complied and gently put her sword on the floor. She hesitated to part with Andrea but she this man was crazed and she could get him later if she played her cards right. She took Andrea of her back and gently put her on the couch.

"Please. Don't hurt her." Michonne continued to plead.

"Maybe if you behave I won't." He said "Now, how about you be a nice girl and strip for me, huh?" He added.

Michonne stood still. Refusing to be bossed around like that. The man aimed his gun at the couch Andrea was on and shot one bullet, purposefully missing her.

"Okay! Okay! Just. There." Michonne said as she took her jacket and pants off.

"Take it all off. Then toss me the panties." He ordered.

Michonne complied again and took the rest of her clothes off. She was completely naked now and the way the man looked at her while licking his lips made her cringe.

"Gooood girl." He growled. He stepped closer, his gun still drawn. "Wanna see those lips work. Get on your knees." He ordered again.

Michonne complied again. She got on her knees and the man walked even closer to her. He let his pants down and his disgusting, hard junk was hanging in Michonne's face. She paid no attention to it as she tried to stay focused. She waited until he was right above her and when he was, she sprung up, slamming her skull directly into the man's jaw, knocking him out instantly. Michonne quickly put her clothes back on and grabbed Andrea and her sword. She walked over to the man's unconscious body and was about to finish him off when suddenly two more men came in through the front door. They saw Michonne and started shooting at her. She bolted out and ran as fast as she could. She kept going even after she couldn't hear anymore shots. She ran behind a building to catch her breath. She took Andrea off her back to check if she had been hit, she hadn't. She was just shaken by the events. So was Michonne. She took Andrea into her arms and rocked her until she calmed down and they moved on. Hopefully those men wouldn't catch up to them now that Andrea was quiet. This wouldn't be the last time Michonne would encounter danger with Andrea. They kept moving, scavenging for food and water all the way.

Days later, they came across a board marked "No Sanctuary". She wonder how it came to be that the rest of the text was crossed out. She kept moving, not sure of where she was going as long as she kept going, for Andrea. She would protect this fragile baby with her life. She wasn't going to let her die. She wasn't going to let her be like André. This was God's way of showing her that He forgave her for failing the first time, that He was giving her another chance. She wasn't going to break the promise she made to Lori. Andrea was hers but she would always remember the angel that delivered her to her arms.

Michonne wondered in the woods with baby Andrea on her back asleep from hunger. Michonne was still paranoid that the Marauders were still after them, she figured she could lose them in the woods if they were trailing her. Michonne's knees were shacking from exhaustion. Her feet were aching from blisters. She wanted so bad to just lie down, even just for a second. She looked around, made sure it was clear and decided to rest, just a little bit. She gently took Andrea off her back and lay her on the ground with the sheet Michonne used to carry her and lay down next to her shortly after. Her body exhaled as she lie down and she shut her eyes. Moments later, Andrea was awake and tugging on something, the slight noise eventually attracting Michonne's attention. She opened her eyes and looked at her baby girl and smile before noticing that Andrea was tugging on some sort of chain. Michonne's curiosity caused her to get up slightly and took hold of it as she followed it. She crawled on her knees until she reached the end of the chain. It was attached to a hatch door hidden beneath the dirt and leaves. She cleared the dirt and found the key in the door. She turned it and struggled to pull the door open but with all her remaining strength, she managed. A ladder lead down to the hole and she used a flashlight that she had to scope it out and knocked on the ladder to see if anyone or anything would come out, but nothing did. Michonne assumed it was clear.

She heard a car in the distance, her fearful and cautious mind telling her to hide. She used her hands to blend her footprints in the are with the leaves and picked Andrea up again. She tied Andrea to her back with the blanket, took the key out of the door and quietly made her way down the shaft and gently shut the door behind her. It was pitch dark and Michonne used her flashlight to spot a light switch. She flicked it and the whole hole lit up to reveal a room with shelves and shelves of supplies, a queen-size bed and a bathroom in the back. Tinned food, soap and bottled water were in the masses. Michonne blinked heavily to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Suddenly she heard footsteps above her and a few voices she could barely make out.

"This is where the trail stops..."

"You dumbass, told you ain't nobody out here... Shit. We shoulda stopped following that bitch days ago... Fuck you man, wasted my damn time!..." The voices said before a fight broke out.

Michonne heard a gunshot and covered Andrea's mouth as the baby began to cry. The two men continued to struggle when two more gunshots went off and then silence.

"Son of a... bitch." One man said while sobbing under his breath. "At least I killed you... first" He said and Michonne heard a bang on the door as if something had fallen.

She continued to hear sobs for a while before it went quiet again. It would seem the men had killed each other. Or at least she hoped they had. She put Judith down and quietly climbed up the ladder and locked the shaft door before climbing back down again. She once again stood still, taking in what was in front of her, still conflicted about whether or not it was real. She turned to her left and took a bottle of water, opened it and consumed it. The fresh, clean water poured down her throat and Michonne smiled to herself as she savored each drop. The smile turned into a weak laugh. She picked Andrea up and smooched her as she celebrated.

Moments later, after Michonne settled in a bit, she opened some cans and treated herself and Andrea to some food. The baby girl was just as relaxed as Michonne was for the first time in weeks. They finished eating and Michonne explored the bathroom more. She jumped when she found the water was still working. She filled up the tub, undressed them both and climbed in with her baby. Andrea cried at first as this was the first real bath she had ever had but Michonne's gentle wash made her calm down. Michonne brushed her baby's hair clean before her own and scrubbed them both off generously with soap and sponges.

Michonne watched as Andrea played with the water and laughed when her baby splashed water all over the place. By the time their bath was over, the tub was full of dirt. Michonne wrapped herself into a towel while she made Andrea a diaper out of sanitary pads and tightened underwear. She dressed her baby up in the smallest clothes she could find before laying her onto the bed. The smell of cleanliness made Andrea fall asleep almost instantly and Michonne finished getting dressed herself. She looked up at the hatch door one more time, making sure it was completely safe. She eventually decided it was and smiled before joining Andrea in the comfy bed. She cuddled her baby girl and whispered to her baby girl "So glad you're here with me, little angel. I wouldn't have made it if you weren't. So glad you're finally getting what you deserve. I will never leave your side. Never.". She kissed her baby's head and fell asleep holding onto her.

Somehow, they made it. Together.


	3. Chapter 3: Destiny

p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Chapter 3: Destiny/span/strong/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Michonne and now one year old Andrea had made a home out of an underground hatch. Michonne would occasionally go outside, just to keep herself and her baby from going insane in that hole. Sometimes they would just sit outside and have a peaceful pick-nick to take in some sun, while making sure to keep on eye out. The woods were quiet and empty and peaceful. No walkers, no people. Just the two of them. But after a year, the hatch was exhausted. They ran out of food. Michonne had to find more supplies. Andrea had become even quieter than she was before over the years. She was ready to go out with Michonne. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"One day while out on a run, Michonne with Andrea on her back ran into the first person they'd seen for a while, Morgan. Michonne watched as he spared the Wolves when he easily could have killed them. She recognized him from the last time she saw him when she was with Rick. She approached him with her weapons drawn. She needed a friend. She needed someone tough to join her and judging by the way he just took care of those Wolves, she knew that Morgan was fit for the job. She gave him Rick's famous survey and eventually trusted him. She lead him back to their hatch and Morgan was happy to join them. He cleaned himself up and had a good rest for the first time in a while and enjoyed some peace with a friend who denied stealing his protein bar all those years ago. About a week into staying with Michonne and her baby, Morgan convinced Michonne that Rick deserved to meet his daughter and that he would help her make that happen, especially since he had been looking for Rick already. The trio packed their last supplies before finally leaving the hatch. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Days later, Morgan, Michonne and her baby saved Daryl and Aaron when they were cornered by walkers. Michonne was overcome with happiness to be reunited with her long lost friend Daryl, and even more so when he told her about the rest and about Alexandria. The five of them made their way to Alexandria and walked into the commotion just as Rick was popping a cap into Pete's head. Andrea began to cry but Michonne was too busy staring at Rick and the rest of her friends to comfort her baby now. Rick looked up at Michonne, his eyes squinted and everyone else starred as well./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Rick?" Morgan broke the silence./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick dropped his gun and walked closer to the people in front of him, his head tilting slightly to one side. "Mo... Morgan? Mi-chonne?" He mumbled./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Rick... Its really you." Michonne said with a smile began to form on her face, not paying much attention to the dead men on the ground. She dropped her sword and ran into Rick's arms. She hugged him and he hugged her back, both of them not smiling nor crying, just... being overwhelmed. Michonne let go of Rick and reached around to untie Andrea from her back. She pulled the baby girl from behind her and presented her to Rick./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""This... This is Andrea. My...span class="apple-converted-space" /spanemYour/emspan class="apple-converted-space" /spandaughter." Michonne said quickly correcting herself, a slight smile forming on her face again./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Wha...What?" Rick mumbled. But after one look at the baby, he saw Lori's eyes and he broke down. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"He couldn't breath. He couldn't speak. This was way too much. He carefully took Andrea into his arms and held her, still just staring at her in silence. Carl was the first to get up and walk to his dad, he also just looked at Andrea before walked to him and took him in her arms./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Carl!" She exclaimed as tears ran down her cheek. "Carl..." She whispered./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Glenn, Maggy, Carol and Sasha all came up to Michonne and took turns to embrace her and the baby. Andrea became nervous, she had never seen so many people before. Who were they all and why were they touching her? She began to cry again and Rick just held her, still stunned and tried to hand her back to Michonne. Morgan just looked on, unsure of what to feel. Happy that everyone was reunited but disturbed by what he walked in on - Rick shooting an unarmed man and now Rick and his people being not as disturbed by it./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""She's your baby Rick. Talk to your baby." Michonne said while still holding hands with Maggie. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick moved Andrea closer to his chest and she calmed down as she felt his heart beat. She didn't know the man but there was something familiar about him that made her feel at ease. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Who is this?" Deanna asked, finally standing up from Reg's body./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Deanna. I'm sorry... This is Michonne. She's one of ours. We haven't seen in each other in over a year. That's Morgan, another old friend of mine. They're okay." Rick explained with a low tone. "Michonne, Morgan, something bad just happened here..." He added./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""I see that." Morgan said with his southern accent. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"It was a difficult moment to be a part of for everyone. Deanna and the rest of the Alexandrians were mourning and horrified by what Pete had just done, and what Rick just did to Pete. Rick was in shock because of Michonne and Morgan suddenly being here, after he thought he'd ever see them again and most of all, they brought his class="apple-converted-space" /spanemHis daughter/em. He was stunned. He was in shock. He couldn't keep it together. He couldn't be a tough guy right now. Maggie spoke for Rick, trying to keep everyone's spirits up. Trying to make it seem as though they cared a lot about what had happened. Maggie sent everyone home and escorted Deanna to her own home. She and Carol comforted Deanna and made her supper, she barely ate it. Glenn, Daryl and Abraham cleaned up the bodies while Sasha and Rosita and Eugene cleaned up the walkers. Rick and Carl escorted the new arrivals to their house and sat them down. Carl brought them lemon-aid while Rick became more acquainted with his daughter. Michonne watched Rick with Andrea. He was so gentle and afraid as if he was a first time parent. Carl sat next to him and smiled at the baby. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Can we talk about...all of this?" Rick asked Michonne./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Yes. You should know." Michonne replied./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""What happened to her?" Rick asked, referring to Lori. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""She was hit by a bullet at the prison. I had to... She asked me to save her baby." Michonne explained./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""So you've been with her this whole time?" Carl asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Yes. Just me and her. We met Morgan later. Way later." Michonne replied./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""You look good. Better than we looked when were were out there." Rick said with a slight humor./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""We found a place. Pretty early on. Like a hatch. Someone must've set it up but never made back. There was food, water, supplies that lasted us a year." She explained. "Morgan showed up, said we needed to try to find you and we did." She added./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick passed the baby over to Carl who was shaking when he got her, and stood up to pour the lemon-aid. "I know I don't seem grateful right now but its just all so much to take in. I didn't think I'd ever see any of you again and now you're here. I just don't know how to take it." He said as he passed Michonne and Morgan their cups-full./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Thank you." Morgan said as he accepted the cup. "And. Yeah. Its a hell lot for one night. Rick. What was that about earlier?" Morgan asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""The guy I killed. His name was Pete. He was an asshole. He used to beat his family and he killed Reg tonight. I had to. The world doesn't have to accommodate people like him anymore." Rick explained with a twang./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Morgan looked down and Rick who tell he disapproved. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Trust me, I had my reasons. And I don't take chances." Rick said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Yeah. Hope that don't mean you don't give chances either." Morgan said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick and Morgan looked into each other's eyes for a while before Andrea broke the silence with her crying./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Uh-oh. What did I do?" Carl asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Michonne giggled as she got up and reached for Andrea. "Nothing. She's a baby. They do that sometimes." She said. "May I have her?" She asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Sure." Carl said as he got up and handed his sister to Michonne. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Looks like she had an accident. Where's the bathroom?" Michonne asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Carl, would you please?" Rick asked Carl./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Yeah. Its this way." Carl said as he lead Michonne to the bathroom. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick stayed in the living room with Morgan and they continued to talk./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Michonne entered the bathroom and placed Andrea on a surface while she changed her diaper. Carl was closing the door before Michonne interrupted him and asked him to come in if he wanted. Carl nodded and came in, standing nervously behind her./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""It's okay Carl. Come here." She said as she removed the diaper./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Is she okay? Why is she crying so much?" Carl asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""She's just uncomfortable. She'll be fine once I have her all cleaned up." Michonne explained. "Can you pass me the babywhipes in by pack over there?" She asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Sure." Carl complied. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"He stood back, watching everything Michonne did. He couldn't stop staring at Andrea. She was like a little alien to him. She looked like his mom he thought. Suddenly his mom was on his mind a lot and he blurred out./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Carl? What is it?" Michonne asked as she finished up with Andrea./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""My mom... What happened to her exactly? Did she suffer?" Carl asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"emspan style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Yes/span/emspan style="font-size: 13.5pt;". But Carl didn't need to know that. He was tough but he was still a kid. "It was over quickly for her." She said as she picked Andrea up and turned to Carl./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""So... she didn't feel you cut the baby out?" He asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""No Carl. She was gone by then." She replied./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""You want to hold her again?" Michonne asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Okay. Oh, Michonne. Just...Thank you. It wasn't easy for us. Must've been even harder for you, alone out there for all that time." Carl said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Let's not talk about that anymore. We made it and that's all that matters. Now come here." Michonne ordered as as she reached her other hand out. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Carl gladly took the hug she was offering. He squeezed her and Andrea in one. He had gotten so tall since the last time Michonne saw him, so mature. She rubbed the back of his head and shut her eyes as she sighed. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""God, I missed you." She whispered. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Missed you too." Carl replied./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick knocked on the door and came in quietly. He smiled when he saw Carl embracing Michonne for a while but he cleared his throat, making sure to get their attention and playfully looked at Carl and Michonne. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Hope I'm not interrupting." He said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""You are. You definitely are." Michonne joked back./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Carl, maybe we should give Michonne a break. She looks exhausted." Rick said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""I am. But I'm done taking breaks." She replied./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Maybe you are. But Andrea isn't." Rick said playfully as he pointed at the baby that was drifting in and out of sleep in Michonne's arms. "Can I have her?" Rick asked. /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Sure." Michonne said as she gently passed her baby over./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Where's Morgan?" Michonne asked./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""I showed him up to his room. Said he needed some sleep" Rick replied./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Oh. He's worked hard to get us here. He's earned it." Michonne said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""Lets go to he living room. I lit the fireplace." /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick sat on the couch with Andrea falling asleep on his lap. Michonne sat down next to him and Carl joined them next to Michonne. He took out a comic that she had brought him way back at the prison that they had agreed to read together so they couldn't spoil it for each other. Michonne smiled at the fact that he still remembered. Carl lay with his head on Michonne's lap while she read the comic aloud. Andrea had already fallen asleep and Carl followed soon after. It was just Rick and Michonne awake now. Rick grabbed hold of Michonne's hand and they looked each other in the eye and smiled./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""I missed you." Rick said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;""I missed you too." Michonne replied./span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;" /span/p  
p style="margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"Rick stretched his arm around Michonne's shoulder, and she placed her head on his chest. She took hold of the hand Rick had around her shoulder and shut her eyes. Rick kissed her head and shut his. They completed each other in ways they didn't even know. They were strong without each other, they'll be even stronger now. It wasn't luck that brought them all here today. It was fate. It was destiny.../span/p 


End file.
